New Tea Festival at Getabaruwa Raja Maha Viharaya to be made annual event

Text and pix by P.D. DE SILVA

“The New Tea Festival at the sacred Getabaru Raja Maha Viharaya in Kotapola will be an annual event,” said Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake after making his offerings to the sacred

temple recently. He was accompanied by Minister for Law and Order and Southern Development Sagala Ratayake whose family  own the Ratnayake Tea Factory in Deniyaya. 

“Although 150 years have passed since the tea industry began in Sri Lanka this is the first time that a ceremony of this nature is being held,” said Dissanayake.

On being asked about the current price of tea he said, “We should be thankful to Russia and China for purchasing more Ceylon tea as it has helped boost the price of green tea to over Rs. 100 a kilo

now. We hope that the price will go up to as much as Rs. 150 per kilo in the near future. What is disheartening is that those in the industry who  take to the streets in protest when the price drops say nothing when it increases beyond their expectations,” he added.

Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said that it was imperative that all tea plantations which were older than 20 years be replanted to increase production. “I do not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides in the

sections I have replanted. Increasing the density of plants as recommended now results in the automatic control of the growth of weeds. We should be able to add value to our produce. The price of tea fluctuates regularly and I believe that the present price will remain stable for some time,” he added.

A large number of producers of tea in the Galle and Matara Districts ascended the two and a half kilometres by foot to the Getabaru Raja Maha Viharaya in a procession where they offered a portion of the first tea produced in their factories or plantations to the Sacred Buddha and the Lord  Rajjuru Bandara who is revered as the custodian deity of the area.

The ceremony was organised by thew Sri Lanka Tea Board as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of Ceylon Tea. The first commercial tea plantation in the country was established in 1867.